Top Democrat Breaks Ranks on ICE

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat whose district includes the border city of Laredo, said he does not support defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and believes most Democrats agree with him. Cuellar, who is in line to chair the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, told Fox News Digital that ICE is not going anywhere even as “Abolish ICE” has become a rallying cry for some newly elected progressive members. “I don’t believe in defunding ICE and I think the majority of the Democrats do not believe defunding ICE, but there are serious rail guards we need put on ICE,” he said.

He warned against returning to the open-border approach of the Biden years. “We just can’t open up the border and just say anybody that wants to claim asylum can come to the borders. That policy under Biden administration — I hope that every Democrat running for national office doesn’t do that anymore.” Cuellar described progressive members as “one part of the spectrum” and noted that many “blue dogs” like himself favor strong border enforcement.

No standalone YouTube embed from a major outlet matched the exact interview closely enough for placement; Fox News video exists but is not a clean public YouTube ID.

Cuellar has broken with his party on immigration before, including voting with Republicans on a DHS funding bill that included billions for ICE. He later opposed a larger Republican-backed enforcement package over oversight concerns. He has criticized ICE for pursuing people without criminal records and has called for greater accountability, including cameras and basic training standards. “Anybody that thinks that what ICE is doing, going after nuns, going after pastors, going after dreamers, they think that’s normal? I don’t think [so],” he said.

The congressman wants local law enforcement to have a limited role. “I think the local sheriff should report somebody that’s there illegally. I think that’s it. But anything beyond that, I think we need to have a discussion.” He has also criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star for insufficient cooperation with federal Border Patrol and hopes the incoming Democratic governor will work more closely with federal authorities.

Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa has criticized ICE tactics and Abbott’s operation but has not called for ending all state cooperation with the agency. Cuellar noted that she is from the border and has not publicly supported defunding ICE. He expects she will favor transparency and guardrails. Hinojosa has not responded to requests for comment on the specific points.

DHS officials have stated that deportations will continue. CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said the mission is to secure the border, protect American lives, and control who enters the country. The White House has reported more than 1.3 million arrests and 1.2 million removals or voluntary departures under current operations. Those numbers form the backdrop for Cuellar’s call for guardrails rather than elimination.

Cuellar said Democrats who want to work with the Trump administration exist, but any deal requires both sides. “There are Democrats who are willing to work with the administration, with President Trump, but it takes two to have a deal.” His position as incoming appropriations chair gives him direct influence over ICE’s budget. That role is expected to shape funding debates in the new Congress.

The midterm results brought additional progressive members into the House. Cuellar’s comments draw a distinction between that faction and the broader Democratic caucus. He argues that most members do not support abolishing the agency. The distinction will be tested when funding bills reach the floor.

Border encounters rose sharply after 2020 and accelerated under Biden. Cuellar and former Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz have both said the prior administration failed to secure the border and sent mixed messages. Cuellar’s current stance rejects a return to that approach while still criticizing specific ICE tactics.

The congressman’s district includes a major Border Patrol presence. That geography has long shaped his voting record. The combination of local realities and his new committee role places him at the center of the coming funding fight. Progressive calls to abolish ICE will confront that institutional power.

No formal proposal to defund ICE has advanced in the current Congress. The new majority will decide whether such language appears in appropriations bills. Cuellar’s public rejection of the idea is the clearest early signal from a Democrat who will help write those bills.

The debate also involves state-level cooperation. Several Democratic governors have restricted local involvement with federal immigration authorities. Texas has moved in the opposite direction through 287(g) agreements. Cuellar supports limited reporting by sheriffs but opposes broader local enforcement roles.

His willingness to work with the Trump administration on enforcement distinguishes him from members who have framed ICE as an agency that should be dismantled. The practical effect of that distinction will appear in the details of the next DHS funding measure. Guardrails, not elimination, is the framework he has outlined.